Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
January 1, 2026, will remain etched in my memory. The joy of New Year's celebrations quickly gave way to horror when I switched on my phone and learnt of the tragedy that had unfolded in Crans-Montana. Forty-one young lives were cut short in what should have been a night of celebration, while more than 100 others were injured.
Since then, I've often thought about the many times I'd been in a crowded bar with friends without giving a second thought to the venue's safety.
Six months on, my thoughts remain with the victims, their loved ones and everyone whose lives were changed forever that night.
Six months after the fire in Crans-Montana, the Swiss media are looking back at the tragedy that claimed 41 lives and injured 115 people on New Year’s Day. Several outlets provide updates on the investigation, while others give voice to victims’ families as they reflect on the past six months.
“I failed to show humanity when so many people needed it,” Crans-Montana mayor Nicolas Féraud told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). Féraud, who is among those under investigation, now regrets refusing to apologise at the press conference on January 6. At the time, he acknowledged that the bar Le Constellation had not undergone a safety inspection since 2019.
The investigation reflects the scale of the disaster. More than 100 lawyers, almost 400 claimants and 14 defendants are now involved in the proceedings. Among those charged are the Moretti couple, owners of Le Constellation. They face charges including negligent manslaughter, negligent grievous bodily harm and negligent arson.
In total, 156 people were affected by the fire. Sixteen young people remain in hospital abroad and nine in Switzerland, in intensive care or acute care. “For us, life began again that night,” Alan’s mother told Le Temps; Alan suffered burns to 70% of his body on January 1. She says the tragedy ultimately brought the family closer together. “We discovered that we were capable of enduring a great deal,” she says.
As of today, Switzerland’s Civil Code explicitly prohibits all forms of violence in the upbringing of children. Child welfare organisation Pro Juventute has welcomed the move but says more emphasis must now be placed on prevention.
Parents are now legally required to raise their children without violence. Corporal punishment and other degrading treatment are explicitly prohibited under amendments adopted by parliament last summer. The changes are primarily intended to strengthen prevention and raise public awareness.
Pro Juventute describes the reform as “a clear signal that Switzerland does not tolerate any form of violence against children”. It notes that requests for help from children experiencing domestic violence have tripled over the past five years and is calling for stronger prevention measures.
“Raising children without violence is a positive step, but only a partial victory,” former juvenile court judge Jean Zermatten writes in Le Temps. The former chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child says Switzerland should now join the majority of European countries that have introduced an explicit ban on corporal punishment.
Several parliamentarians have criticised Economics Minister Guy Parmelin for making concessions to Washington without securing commitments in return. They also accuse the government of sidestepping parliament.
“It is not the one who gives in first who wins, but the one who consistently defends their interests,” Radical-Liberal senator Damian Müller said. Like several other parliamentarians, he criticised the government’s willingness to remove barriers to imports of US cars and medical devices without obtaining equivalent concessions from Washington.
Critics are also concerned that the government appears to have abandoned plans for a trade agreement in favour of amending an ordinance, which falls within its own powers and therefore does not require parliamentary approval.
“This is a rather authoritarian approach,” said Social Democrat senator Carlo Sommaruga, who chairs the foreign affairs committee.
The Swiss People’s Party continues to back Parmelin. “The fact that the government is changing its strategy is not a problem because, ultimately, we will still be able to decide on any trade agreement,” Senator Hannes Germann said.
The introduction of Switzerland’s electronic identity card (e-ID) has been delayed. The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) said yesterday that additional work was needed to strengthen data protection in light of rapid advances in artificial intelligence.
Swiss residents had originally been expected to use the e-ID from this year, but that timetable will no longer be met. According to the FOJ, further safeguards are needed to better protect devices from malware and improve the detection of deepfakes. A revised launch date will be announced later.
Data protection was one of the central issues during the referendum campaign ahead of the vote on September 28, 2025. The e-ID was ultimately approved by a narrow 50.4% majority, after an earlier version had been overwhelmingly rejected in 2021.
The delay does not affect the trust infrastructure underpinning the system. Development continues as planned, and a version tested by public authorities and private-sector partners has already been operating successfully for more than a year. The infrastructure is expected to be rolled out in the first half of 2027 for other electronic documents, including driving licences.
Translated from French, sub-edited by Alexandra MV Andrist/ts
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